His father was a chef, including for the .

Jones himself knows his way around the kitchen, the smoker, whatever your palate desires.

The man, all 6-foot-flat and 305 pounds of him, knows what he’s talking about when it comes to eating.

He says the Broncos defense is going to feast this fall.

“We’ve got what it takes,” Jones said in August. “We’ve tasted it. Now it����ap time to cook the meal, eat it and take a break. You know how you eat a good meal, and you lay down after, take a good nap, then you wake up and go eat again? We’re about to eat again. It����ap time. We’ve got the numbers, we’ve got the men, we’ve got the willpower. We’ve got the free will to go do it.

“It����ap up to us, and we’re going to do that.”

The Broncos are seasoned, to be sure.

They return as many as 10 starters from Week 1 last year and must replace only John Franklin-Myers on the top line. So far in training camp, they look like they’ll do that with a combination of Malcolm Roach and a true breakout candidate in Eyioma Uwazurike.

For the most part, though, the core of this group is entering its fourth season under defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. That includes Zach Allen and Jones up front, inside linebackers Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad, outside linebackers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper plus corners Pat Surtain, Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian.

It is a rare and enviable continuity the Broncos have built defensively.

“You’re not coming into camp kind of stressed about learning,” Singleton said. “That’s the hardest thing when you go to a new team or have new guys where you’re teaching guys, ‘Hey, this is our check in this situation.’ No, instead all 11 guys know.

“So, we’re one step ahead of where we would’ve been last year or the year before that at this time of the year.”

Really, the question for this group is whether it can stave off any hint of complacency that could accompany such continuity. That certainly wasn’t an issue last season, when Denver backed up a high-quality 2024 with an even better 2025. They jumped in rankings across the board, jumped from 10 wins in the regular season to 14, and broke their own single-season sack record by going from 63 to 68.

Can they make it three in a row? Defensive performance has tended to be more volatile in the NFL than offensive, but Joseph’s group so far has stayed sharp year-over-year.

“That����ap the really cool thing about this group is we’re just constantly trying to find new ways to get better,” Allen said. “It all starts with ‘V.J.’ He sets such a high standard. Yeah, we were good last year, but there were still a lot of things that we could have been better at and cleaned up. We want to be as consistent as we can be and play at the highest level that we can.”

Broncos coaches and players see the early stages of training camp as a kind of rite of passage. Despite the experience returning, part of the key to setting out on a new season is going through all of the basics. Every install gets a full explanation. Every page of the playbook gets a fine-tooth comb, regardless of how many times most of the players have been over it.

“When we’re installing, take those notes again,” Singleton said. “Rewrite the little basics of the calls because then, when the intricate stuff happens, and stuff happens during the game — the basic stuff is easy. That’s the stuff that’s already locked in; that’s muscle memory.

“Now you’re learning the nuances and all the stuff that really will define what we are this season on the critical plays during the season.”

Sometimes, though, second nature kicks in. They just can’t help it. An early August training camp day still features an array of checks and calls. You can go back over the basics, but once you’re on the field, the more advanced stuff is going to come out, too.

That, Singleton says, is part of preparing for what the Broncos will see later in the season.

One common theme over the past two seasons: the group has looked a little rundown in the stretch run of the regular season. Denver has given up 30 or more points eight times in 37 games over the past two seasons, including the playoffs. Six of those have come across 13 games played in either December or January.

The other major goal for the Broncos this fall: Take the ball away more. Head coach Sean Payton is adamant about it. Joseph knows it����ap important, too, though with a caveat: He’s going to play the way he plays —��he talks frequently about making sure Denver is playing “good football,” which for him means a lot of match coverage. Sometimes that means fewer interceptions than teams that are more zone-heavy and consistently have more eyes on the quarterback.

The Broncos turned on the takeaway faucet in the postseason last year and beat Buffalo because of it. Then they snuffed New England for most of the AFC title game — the Patriots’ lone touchdown came on a 12-yard drive after a Jarrett Stidham fumble. If Joseph’s group is playing like that again in late January 2027, the Broncos are going to be right in the mix for a chance at a championship.

“It����ap a great unit, but they’re motivated, and they’re not satisfied with what we did last year,” Joseph said. “Our talks and meetings are always about, ‘It might not look like it did last year as far as all the numbers, but the play style should be the same and the end result can be the same.’ It can be different as far as where we ranked. That����ap not important for us.

“It����ap about winning games and getting back to where we were. It may look different, and that����ap OK, but the goal’s the same.”

As if the Broncos needed any reminder of how close they came last year, the NFL season kicks off Wednesday night with a Super Bowl rematch between New England and Seattle. Then, San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams square off in Australia on Thursday night.

Denver plays all four of those teams this season and three of them by Week 6, but the Broncos have a long wait until Monday night, Sept. 14, before finally kicking off at Kansas City.

Tuesday marks six weeks since Broncos veterans reported for training camp. In that time, we’ve learned quite a bit about Sean Payton’s team. There also remain a handful of outstanding questions as prep for the Chiefs is set to kick into gear Monday and then really ramp up midweek.

Let����ap set the table as we head into the final week of the year without games that count on the menu.

What we’ve learned

Bo Nix has passed every test so far and looks primed for Week 1

When camp began in late July, Nix hadn’t opened up and ran in a practice setting since before he broke his ankle in January and had a follow-up procedure in April. It didn’t take long, though, for the third-year quarterback to show he felt good. Nix took every rep in training camp and he ran and cut hard off the right ankle. He showed no signs of any kind of rehab plan or workload moderation, outside of Payton mentioning that he likely still had scar tissue. The staff held him out of the preseason opener, but otherwise it����ap been full throttle for Nix heading into Week 1. And his teammates say he “is playing out of his mind.” The physically taxing part for all players is just beginning, but the summer has gone as well as it could have so far for Nix and the Broncos.

This should be the best collection of skill talent the Broncos have had in years

Camp featured glimpses of Denver’s offensive potential in 2026, but the whole No. 1 group has only played together in practice so far. Running back J.K. Dobbins didn’t play a preseason game snap and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle played six.

When this group hits the field for the first time against the Chiefs, though, it should be the most dangerous since Peyton Manning retired. Waddle’s arrival and Pat Bryant����ap ascension will certainly impact — and maybe transform — the wide receiver room. Payton and company have invested in the running back room and it finally appears to be in a good spot with Dobbins, RJ Harvey and rookie Jonah Coleman. The tight end room didn’t change much, but Evan Engram sees growth for himself, and the group could see residual benefit from the uptick in skill at the other positions. Bottom line: Nix and new play-caller Davis Webb have a lot to work with at their disposal.

The questions on defense are not where we thought they’d be when camp opened

The Broncos appear poised to cover the free-agency departure of John Franklin-Myers with players on the rise. Eyioma Uwazurike had one of the most impressive camps on the roster, Malcolm Roach continues to improve each year, and they pair with Zach Allen and D.J. Jones to make a high-quality top four. They’ll need Jordan Jackson to handle some snaps and rookie Tyler Onyedim to progress over the season, but this group looks ready to hit the ground running. When JFM got $21 million a year, it would have been a bit strange to think that safety P.J. Locke and inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw would be the departures that left more lingering questions, but that����ap how it feels heading into Week 1.

Questions remaining

Will anybody get a contract extension before the opener?

Each of the past two seasons, the Broncos have inked a major contract extension with a defensive stalwart during Week 1 preparations. In 2024, it was cornerback Pat Surtain II. Last year, outside linebacker Nik Bonitto.

The Broncos don’t have the kind of obvious to-do list they did last year when Courtland Sutton and Zach Allen both also got extensions during camp, but they do have a big group of key players entering contract seasons. These things can change fast, but it����ap been quiet on the contract front so far. There’s been no solid indication that an extension is on the immediate horizon for Ja’Quan McMillian, Riley Moss, Uwazurike, Bandon Jones, Marvin Mims Jr., Ben Powers or anybody else. Deadlines spur actions, of course, and Payton has expressed interest in having multiple players on that list around long-term, but nothing has materialized.

Payton and owner Greg Penner have downplayed the impact that Nix’s impending extension eligibility, which begins next offseason, has on Denver’s contract decision-making from here forward. It����ap also true that the Broncos have spent a ton to lock up their core over the past two years. Still, if nothing comes over the next 10 days, Denver will enter the season looking like a team that could well be entering its last season with such extensive continuity.

When will Jonathon Cooper’s criminal case be resolved?

When veterans reported on July 29, Payton said the Broncos stood firmly behind Cooper and that he thought resolution could come “sooner than later.” Six weeks later, Cooper’s been arraigned on felony assault for strangulation and other lesser charges stemming from a pair of domestic violence-related arrests in June. He is not on the Broncos’ 53-man roster and is instead on the commissioner’s exempt list, which is essentially paid leave. His trial date is slated for mid-November, after nine Broncos regular-season games. The league could conclude its review of Cooper’s case for potential violations of its personal conduct policy before a trial starts, but neither the league office nor the 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office appears to have much incentive to rush to a conclusion. Cooper’s in line to miss the opening portion of the season, but beyond that, there’s still uncertainty about what resolution looks like and if and when Denver’s starting outside linebacker might be back on the field.

How will Payton handle his new game-day role when they actually count?

The biggest outstanding question for the Broncos, really, is how Davis Webb will fare as a first-time play-caller. Particularly against a run of top-flight opponents out of the gate. Players and coaches are confident. So, too, is Webb. The interesting undercard is how Payton himself handles game days. He swears he’s not going to be like his mentor, Bill Parcells, who he said sighed or questioned many of his calls as games unfolded. He’s adamant this is going to work swimmingly and he won’t be tempted to take play-calling duties back. He’ll have “some suggestions, some mandates,” he said with a smile. New-look Gameday Sean in the preseason is one thing. How it looks in the regular season will be fascinating. There will undoubtedly be plenty of camera shots along the way to help tell the story.

But after Jonathon Cooper was placed on the NFL commissioner’s exempt list in connection with several charges stemming from a pair of domestic violence-related arrests, Denver will now need to replace its second-best pass rusher of the Sean Payton era before a grueling opening stretch of the season.

Cooper has posted 176 pressures in the last three seasons, only 13 less than All-Pro edge rusher Nik Bonitto. He has been on the field for 743 true passing downs since Payton took over, according to .

Cooper’s also been one of the Broncos’ sturdiest run defenders during his career. Vance Joseph called him the team’s “best guy” when the defensive coordinator arrived in 2023, and it has shown on the field. Cooper’s played more snaps than any Denver edge rusher under Joseph — including 300 more snaps than Bonitto. He also fully practiced this offseason and played in the three preseason games while his status for the season was in limbo.

That’s a lot of snaps — production — that the Broncos will need to find from a litany of players. Expect three players to try and fill the void: third-year player Jonah Elliss, second-year edge rusher Que Robinson and third-year linebacker Dondrea Tillman.

None has played a ton in Joseph’s defense. Elliss has been on the field for 38 percent of Denver’s defensive snaps in his first two seasons and Robinson recorded only 10 pressures in his rookie season, according to PFF. Tillman’s the most proven of the three, posting five and four sacks in his two years .

Denver’s coaching staff is confident in its group opposite of Bonitto, though. Expect a lot of rotation. Joseph’s defenses tend to substitute edge rushers frequently and Payton said there will be a snap count for the three rushers against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1.

“There’s certain strengths that they have, whether they fall into more third-down or passing situations. One of the strengths of that front has been our ability to play more than just the starting unit,” Payton said.

Elliss took most of the third edge rusher snaps throughout the summer and seems primed to take the bulk of Cooper’s stats. The third-year linebacker out of Utah almost switched to inside linebacker this offseason before the Broncos maintained his position. He has struggled with injuries, missing several games last year. Denver needs him to be a steadying presence while Cooper’s unavailable.

“The coaches have spent a little extra time with me, really talking about what I needed to improve on, areas I needed to grow,” Elliss about his improvements this offseason.

Tillman is the most proven of the three pass rushers. He recorded at least two pressures in eight games last season and hurried the opposing quarterback 16 times, according to PFF. The former United Football League player has fit in with the Broncos’ edge rotation well over the past few years and could be expected to play a bigger role this year.

But Robinson might be the biggest swing factor for the room. He has received significant praise from coaches and players for the leap he took this offseason. In the preseason, Robinson was the team’s most effective pass rusher, accumulating seven pressures and one sack. He’s also a bigger body at 6-foot-4 and 243 pounds, meaning he could be on the field for earlier downs.

Joseph said he thinks Robinson can be a “future starter” after watching the tape from the six games he played in last year. His teammates agree.

“The guy I have been super impressed with, and I’ve told him, is Que Robinson,” tight end Evan Engram said at the Broncos’ practice Wednesday. “He’s been a force all camp… He’s definitely growing as a player and he has a bright future ahead of him for sure.”

Denver certainly hopes Robinson’s future — and its other options at edge — arrives sooner rather than later.

Golf, whether in the Bay Area while with San Francisco 49ers or in the Denver area, always sounds like a good idea.

Sleep in? Sometimes simple is best.

Kick the feet up and watch a movie, maybe a little bit of film along the way? Indeed, air conditioning feels great after a long stretch of days on the field.

These days, McGlinchey sees none of that.

But, he said, it����ap for good reason. He’s been promoted.

McGlinchey and his wife, Brooke, welcomed their second child the day after the Broncos lost in the AFC Championship Game.

“I would say dad is very much a support player, a role player, the first time around,” McGlinchey said earlier this summer. “All of a sudden, when there’s no free set of hands, dad gets elevated to the starting lineup.

“It����ap fun. My son is almost 2 now. He doesn’t stop moving, he doesn’t stop talking and it����ap a lot of fun. … It����ap a full-time job, man. And I’ve got two of them now. It����ap been a lot of fun and it����ap the biggest blessing in the world.”

That����ap a common theme around the Broncos locker room. The team features a bunch of young dads, including multi-kid veterans like McGlinchey, left tackle Garett Bolles and safety Talanoa Hufanga and also new additions to the ranks this offseason in quarterback Bo Nix and safety Brandon Jones.

Players spend training camp together in a hotel, so family time gets limited. After practice, families and friends of players make their way from the balcony and courtyard viewing area at the new team facility down to the indoor practice field and players make their way up for quick visits. Naturally, then, that����ap how many like to spend their off days, too.

Second-year wide receiver Pat Bryant, who got married this summer during OTAs, said he takes a similar low-key approach on the rare occasion the club gets an off day.

“It����ap a couple things to do around here that are fun, but my main focus is getting rest,” said Bryant, who has had a terrific training camp and appears poised for a Year 2 breakout. “Get as much sleep as possible, hang out with the wife for a couple hours and just kick my feet up and relax.”

All-Pro right guard Quinn Meinerz is a man of many hobbies, but he said recently that he used a weekend day to see released on 70-millimeter film by director Christopher Nolan this summer. You can also find Meinerz on an off day at the bowling alley, checking out avian variety with his birdwatching setup and app or, after dark, peering at the night sky through his telescope.

Players on the team have all kinds of other hobbies and things they like to do with their downtime during the summer or even during the regular season. If there’s a fishing spot to be found, Bolles may be there. Same for kicker Wil Lutz, who is also a high-quality golfer. Players in the offseason find unique, do-it-yourself workout routines, even if they’re also using the Broncos facilities. Veteran inside linebacker Alex Singleton set himself up with a sauna and cold plunge at his house and is a big believer in mobility-based training. Jaleel McLaughlin said he regularly made the trip to Colorado Springs to conquer the Manitou Incline. On the other end of the team’s weight spectrum from the diminutive running back, so, too, did Meinerz make the incline climb.

That’s all well and good, but training camp is a different story. In the heart of it, the Broncos were on the field 10 days in an 11-day stretch. The prep for 10 a.m. practices starts early and the last of the meetings goes well into the evening. It can feel like Groundhog Day.

When asked which day the previous week the team had gone together to see the new “Spider-Man” movie, All-Pro outside linebacker Nik Bonitto said he wasn’t even sure what day it was at that very moment.

There’s just not much downtime. After the Broncos’ preseason-opening win at Atlanta, the team’s charter landed back at Denver International Airport a little after 1 a.m. Saturday morning. Head coach Sean Payton said they had a practice scheduled for that afternoon. Not a taxing one, but back to it nonetheless.

That’s why rest and relaxation often win out when a rare camp-off day pops up on the schedule. You’ve got to be prepared for the grind, especially when your reason for playing starts to expand.

“Just being married give you a little extra job knowing that here soon I’m going to start a nice family,” Bryant, the 24-year-old receiver said with a smile recently. “Overall, it����ap been great knowing I’ve got my wife in the stands, her family, my family. I’m looking forward to spending the rest of my life with my wife.”

Oh, right, there’s one more staple of a camp off-day: The honey-do list.

Bryant’s sure-handed in that regard, too.

“I took the garbage out before we were married,” he said.

He did the night Nix was drafted, saying at No. 10 as part of trying to ensure Nix made it to No. 12.

He did last summer in proclaiming that Nix would be one of the top four or five quarterbacks in the NFL in the next two years.

This summer, Payton took to social media to lambaste an NFL analyst who said Nix looked like the same player he was in college, writing, “PAYTON.” After Denver’s preseason finale, he called that assertion “crazy”,” referenced “basement podcasts with the beer logo,” and said, “Everything is the opposite of what he was saying.”

Asked Wednesday why others had such mixed opinions on his quarterback — — Payton had thoughts.

“It����ap hard for me to answer that, but there’s two things I think can happen,” he said. “You can predetermine based on how you saw him coming out (of the draft) and slow to move off your draft opinion, which is very normal. And then oftentimes you’re not exposed to certain players based on television.”

Veteran tight end Evan Engram said Wednesday that he gives “no energy” to what other people think about Nix and said, “We know what we’ve got.”

Payton thinks so, too, of course.

“It����ap the one cool thing about our sport, though,” Payton said. “You can argue, any position, top 10, all those discussions. Generally, time will give you those answers. We love what we’re seeing (from Nix). They’re measured by wins and measured by certain things and ultimately that����ap how history will be written about any of them, but quarterbacks specifically.”

ESPN’s list did feature five Broncos: DT Zach Allen at No. 79, OLB Nik Bonitto at No. 56, RG Quinn Meinerz at No. 53, LT Garett Bolles at No. 37 and CB Pat Surtain II at No. 7.

Taysom Hill? Not at the moment

Payton earlier this offseason said he planned to check on long-time New Orleans tight end Taysom Hill after he was released by the Saints earlier this offseason.

Payton did talk to Hill at Drew Brees’ Hall of Fame induction ceremony last month, he said Wednesday, but said there hasn’t been any movement toward Hill potentially playing for Denver.

“No updates. Nothing. I would let you know if we had anything,” Payton said. “I talked to him at the Hall of Fame, but it was really just with a group of people.”

Payton, though, said he believes the Broncos’ current group of tight ends can operate at a high level.

“I kind of like where we’re at,” he said. “I thought retaining Lucas (Krull) was important to the practice squad. I like where that room’s at.”

Jarrett Stidham is the Broncos’ No. 2 quarterback

The Broncos have three quarterbacks on their active roster, but Jarrett Stidham is still the backup, Payton said Wednesday.

After Friday’s preseason finale, Payton was noncommittal between Stidham and Sam Ehlinger as the primary backup to Bo Nix.

On Wednesday, Payton said Stidham would be the second into a game, “now.”

J.K. Dobbins is ready to roll

Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins was one of a small group of players who did not see any snaps in the preseason.

Dobbins missed one day of practice with what Payton called a “soft tissue” injury, but otherwise has been healthy through camp.

“He’s moving well and he’s doing really well,” Payton said Wednesday.

Denver Broncos

BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl: 18-1; Over-under win total: 9.5

Strengths: The offensive line will feature the same five starters for a third straight season is one of the better units in the league. John Franklin-Myers is in Nashville, but the talent and depth up on defense remains elite as well. If the pass rush doesn’t get home, Pat Surtain II is a perennial defensive player of the year candidate and leads a strong secondary. Adding Jaylen Waddle gives Bo Nix a true No. 1 target and the group behind the ex-Dolphins wideout is deep and versatile.

Weaknesses: What will be the resolution after Jonathon Cooper was arrested twice in early July amid domestic violence allegations? Will Nix’s surgically repaired ankle hold up? The running backs might be just be solid, even as Sean Payton and Co. continue to say the Broncos want to run the ball more.

Kansas City Chiefs

BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl: 15-1; Over-under win total: 10.5

Strengths: Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Chris Jones are all getting older — the latter two in particular — but remain elite players to anchor another season when the expectations will be Super Bowl or bust. Mahomes is coming back from a major knee injury that was the final blow in a season that had already gone off the rails. Kenneth Walker III, fresh off Super Bowl MVP honors, could help the running game provide a little more balance.

Weaknesses: Is the supporting cast around Kansas City’s ‘Big Three’ good enough? Rashee Rice spent part of his injury rehab in jail this offseason, and the pass catchers in general look pretty underwhelming beyond Kelce. The interior of the offensive line should be solid, but the tackles are a question mark, and Chiefs fans will be holding their breath the first time Nik Bonitto gets around the edge on opening night.

Los Angeles Chargers

BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl: 17-1; Over-under win total: 10.5

Strengths: Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are one of the best 1-2 punches at offensive tackle in the league, but both are coming off season-ending injuries. The line should be a strength, and the running back duo of Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal should get plenty of work. The defense, led by do-it-all safety Derwin James and breakout pass rusher Tuli Tuipulotu, should again be among the top 10 in just about everything. Justin Herbert can make every throw and often looks like one of the very best quarterbacks in the NFL …

Weaknesses: … but Herbert is also 0-3 in the playoffs in six seasons as the starter, and the offense has been uncompetitive in wild-card losses the past two years. The Keenan Allen return season went pretty well with 81 catches, but he’s gone, and the depth chart behind Ladd McConkey has intriguing options but could also be a group that looks one quality option short. The Chargers went 3-0 against the Broncos and Chiefs in games they were trying to win before the season finale, but one of these teams is going to have to end up in third place in this division.

Las Vegas Raiders

BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl: 150-1; Over-under win total: 5.5

Strengths: Brock Bowers is a rock star at tight end. Ashton Jeanty could certainly still be a franchise running back as the rest of the pieces around him and Bowers get upgraded. That starts with the two biggest additions of the offseason — No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza is the franchise quarterback-in-waiting and free agent Tyler Linderbaum at center to anchor a work-in-progress offensive line. Maxx Crosby is also here, still, after a trade with the Baltimore Ravens fell through.

Weaknesses: The Raiders had the No. 1 pick for a reason. There are a bunch of new faces on defense, which was necessary. The rest of the offensive line could still be pretty bad. That alone might be enough reason to let Kirk Cousins start over Mendoza to begin the year. The pass-catching options beyond Bowers are among the worst in the league. Considering the other teams that could be vying for the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL draft could all be interested in quarterbacks, Jeremiah Smith or Cam Coleman might be checking out real estate listings in Sin City next summer.

Roger Goodell placed Jonathon Cooper on the commissioner’s exempt list on Sunday. Hopefully, he closed the door when doing the Broncos’ dirty work.

The team chose to support Cooper as he faced a felony assault charge for strangulation, along with three other lesser charges connected to a pair of domestic violence-related arrests in June.

I argued that the Broncos should have released him because of the details in the affidavit and the breach of trust following the initial incident.

For the first time, Cooper is suffering football consequences. He cannot participate in practices and games while the league investigates whether to suspend him under the personal conduct policy.

The team has his back.

“We continue to take this very serious. And we are going to monitor all the legal developments and continue to support Jonathon,” general manager George Paton said Sunday night. “Jonathon has worked very hard to better himself. It will be good to have him in the building.”

Cooper can attend meetings, work out at the facility and get paid — until the league reaches a resolution.

But he cannot play.

This is a bigger deal than most think, given the Week 1 opponent.

Cooper has performed his best against the Chiefs, delivering 4.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits in 10 games, career-highs against any team.

His absence puts the onus on his teammates to step up, beginning in one of the toughest venues in the sport: Arrowhead Stadium. On Monday Night. With the return of quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The Chiefs will pull out all the stops, save for Taylor Swift performing at halftime and “ChiefsAholic” getting a weekend furlough to wear his gray wolf suit one more time.

The Broncos are 1-9 in their last 10 games in Kansas City. But 1-0 in their last appearance, snapping a nine-game skid last Christmas.

Of the few concerns about this season’s team, one is consistently overlooked: defensive regression.

The unit quietly went from a roadblock to a detour a year ago.

The Broncos allowed 13.8 points over the first 11 games.

Over the final nine, including the playoffs, the number jumped to 19.8, and it would have been worse had they not faced forgettable backups Chris Oladokun and Trey Lance in the final two weeks of the regular season.

Determined to start fast in the face of a wicked opening six-game schedule, the Broncos will have to do it without Cooper, who has five quarterback hits and two sacks in five road games against the Chiefs.

Whether you believe Cooper is guilty or innocent — remember, he can still be banned for multiple games by the NFL without a conviction — his actions put the Broncos in a difficult spot.

Don’t be surprised if Nik Bonitto knows more about chips than the folks at Frito-Lay after the opener. He is going to get double-teamed more than Nikola Jokic.

Remember, Bonitto has never started a game without Cooper on the opposite side. And while Cooper is best known for setting the edge, his ability to reach the quarterback demands respect.

The Broncos chose to let Cooper practice, believing he deserved another chance after he completed inpatient therapy at a clinic near Vail for roughly 40 days. He took starters’ snaps, and played in all three preseason games, even though it was always likely he would miss time.

It can be argued that a heavy workload was appropriate given the possibility of a long layoff. It can also be reasoned that the bulk of those snaps should have gone to Jonah Elliss, the third edge rusher all summer, with a few extras sprinkled in for Dondrea Tillman and Que Robinson.

The Broncos began the offseason determined to move Elliss to inside linebacker. On June 4, coach Sean Payton ended the experiment, saying he was staying at edge. The next day, Cooper and his former girlfriend were arrested.

Elliss is relentless. His effort annoys tackles. But he has yet to reach his potential. Why? He has dealt with multiple shoulder issues and a hamstring injury during his first two seasons. He played one of his best games last year against the Chiefs, registering a half-sack and two quarterback hits.

It means Elliss can meet the moment. But it also means he must prove it because it came against a quarterback who looked like he should be throwing passes on the beach to Daejon Love.

Tillman is a playmaker. He is also a utility player. More snaps won’t necessarily make him more effective.

The man who can cover for Cooper is Robinson. He finished last season with four tackles for loss, four quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks in 162 snaps. But he never played more than 34 as a rookie.

Elliss and Tillman are steady and have played in big games. Robinson is capable of a starburst and has the highest ceiling.

“After the season, watching the cut-ups, when Que played, he played really well,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said. “He looked like a guy who can be a future starter.”

Those remarks made their way back to Robinson, providing a boost over the last month.

“It is a motivator for sure. I can’t get it out of my head. I know it takes a lot for a coach to say something like that,” Robinson said Friday. “With V.J., I just want to prove him right. Having the rest of guys, like Coop and Nik behind me and the rest of the guys believe in me. .. they can see it just as much as I do. That helps a lot.”

Entering his second season, Robinson has never been needed more. Cooper is out, and the Broncos don’t know when he will return.

Paton believes in the depth. But let’s be real, for the Broncos not to miss Cooper, they need a certain 25-year-old from the University of Alabama to go from in the queue to performing on cue.

“I thought about that during every preseason game, what that (Monday) night will be like. After I hear the national anthem I get a little emotional. I almost cry because as a kid this is what I would dream for. And you know, it seems surreal,” Robinson said. “But, I am a guy who is willing to dominate a game and take over if need be.”

Come Sept. 14, ����apountry will hold him to it.

NFL teams must reduce their rosters from 90 players to 53 by 4 p.m. Sunday, which means as soon as Friday night’s preseason finale ends, the process of finalizing the first version of an active roster kicks into high gear.

So many of Denver’s starters and key role players return from past years and little doubt exists about their roles.

Still, there are several spots up for grabs and, perhaps more pertinently, there are several levers the Broncos can pull to get as many players back into their building as possible.

The job isn’t to pick the best 53 players, necessarily. Head coach Sean Payton always uses the term “the right 53.”

That means some players who are going to be part of Denver’s equation this season could start on the practice squad, be cut and re-signed to the 53-man roster a day later, start the season on injured reserve or any number of other machinations.

Having a deep roster means added risk of losing players between Sunday afternoon and the 11 a.m. claiming deadline, after which teams can begin assembling their practice squads.

“I think that gets weighed in a lot,” Payton said of who’s most at risk of getting claimed. “I’ll turn to the analytics and a lot of it is what kind of tape the opponents seeing. That gets weighed in a lot. Who do we feel like is more likely to get claimed? Certain positions are more likely to get claimed.

“So that����ap always a challenge.”

A challenge, but one we’re taking on one final time. Here’s a last stab at a 53-man roster.

Changes from last week’s projection are italicized.

OFFENSE (24)

QUARTERBACKS (3)

Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham, Sam Ehlinger

Final call: Taking three quarterbacks is going to cost Denver a player somewhere else, but in the end, that����ap the call here. Ehlinger didn’t sound earlier this week like a player who planned on packing his bags any time soon, then he authored a terrific preseason finale. Plus, there aren’t any good Payton-experienced quarterbacks out there as practice squad options.

If they take two to start, it����ap most likely because they swung a deal with Ehlinger or found a trade option they liked. Ehlinger is a veteran, so he can sign anywhere if he’s cut. Depending on how much injured reserve activity the Broncos have, they could cut Ehlinger with a promise he’s back on the 53-man roster in a day. Or they could ask him to start the season on the practice squad.��The real curveball would be a two-man Nix/Ehlinger room to start.

RUNNING BACK (3)

J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman

Final call: The Broncos will press all the buttons to squeeze extra spots out of the roster. In this projection, that means cutting Adam Prentice with the agreement that he’ll be signed to the practice squad, elevated three times and/or added back to the 53 when a spot becomes available. Prentice has had a good camp and will be in the mix one way or another.

If Jaleel McLaughlin and/or Tyler Badie clear waivers and return to the practice squad, all the better. Historic odds on players claimed suggest at least one will. Cody Schrader could be a practice squad option, too.

TIGHT END (4)

Adam Trautman, Evan Engram, Nate Adkins and Justin Joly

Final call: Joly hasn’t had a big training camp, but he finished with a bang on a wide-open 88-yard touchdown Friday night. Caleb Lohner hasn’t practiced at all and seems like a candidate to begin the season on injured reserve. They could wait a day and thus save a return designation for now to ensure that Lohner actually does recover and get fully healthy. Can’t rule out Dallen Bentley or Lucas Krull nabbing a spot, but they feel like the most likely to get through waivers.

WIDE RECEIVER (5)

Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle, Pat Bryant, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin

Final call: The same five it����ap been all of camp. The sticking point here: Lil’Jordan Humphrey is almost certainly going to be part of the plan. In this case, he either starts on the practice squad or is a one-day cut until the Broncos place someone else on injured reserve. Denver will feel fortunate if all of its undrafted rookie receivers get through to the practice squad. There are a ton of receivers out there around the league, but Cam Ross and/or Kolbe Katsis could factor on special teams at some point in the not-so-distant future and could draw attention from other teams.

OFFENSIVE LINE (9)

Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Luke Wattenberg, Quinn Meinerz, Mike McGlinchey, Alex Palczewski, Kage Casey, Alex Forsyth, Tyler Miller��

Final call: Let����ap get a little bit wild. In this projection, Frank Crum is placed on injured reserve Sunday with a designation to return. Then, there’s the Tyler Miller conversation. The Broncos have lost a developmental tackle each of the past two years at the cutdown. They know the value of such players. If they can get Calvin Throckmorton and Matt Peart to agree to start the year on the practice squad, this becomes possible. The end goal here: Keep as many of this group as possible for as long as possible.

DEFENSE (26)

DEFENSIVE LINE (7)

Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Malcolm Roach, Eyioma Uwazurike, Tyler Onyedim, Jordan Jackson, Sai’Vion Jones

Final call: Maybe the Broncos ultimately feel like they have to choose between Jackson and Sai’Vion Jones, but this coaching staff and front office have prided themselves on building depth in both trenches. If there are ways around cutting somebody up front, they’ll find them. Jackson is too reliable and Jones too young to part ways with just yet, though the latter has had a relatively quiet camp.

“Every year is different and you really never know,” said Jackson, whose made the 53 each of the past two years. “Five weeks to put in the work I’ve put in. We’ll see how it all comes out.”

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (5)

Nik Bonitto, Jonah Elliss, Que Robinson, Dondrea Tillman, Ron Stone, Jr.

Final call: Time is ticking quickly, but in this version, the projection is that the Broncos will have clarity on Jonathon Cooper’s status — a suspension levied by the NFL or (perhaps more likely at the moment) a placement on the commissioner’s exempt list — by the time the roster cutdown arrives. Stone makes it as a depth piece, at least to start. The tough call here is what to do with Drew Sanders. Is it injured reserve? They have to use one of eight return designations to put him there Sunday but if they carry him for one day, they can stash him and decide later whether to bring him back. Still, Sanders has played four games in the past two seasons. It may be time for a fresh start. If there’s no decision on Cooper at 4 p.m. Sunday, he’ll be on the roster.

INSIDE LINEBACKER (5)

Alex Singleton, Justin Strnad, Red Murdock, Jordan Turner, Karene Reid��

Final call: The Broncos had a curveball thrown this week when Taylor Rapp left after just one practice. Reid, Turner and Murdock are all special teams staples and it����ap easy to see any of them getting time on defense if either Singleton or Strnad miss time. Murdock has been calling the defense in practice, the type of investment that makes it easy to think Denver wants to keep him around for a while. The question: Are Reid and Turner worthy of among the last spots on the roster. Their special teams work last year and preseason playing time so far this summer suggest yes.

CORNERBACK (5)

Pat Surtain II, Riley Moss, Ja’Quan McMillian, Jahdae Barron, Kris Abrams-Draine

Final call: One of the toughest calls to leave off the roster is Reese Taylor. The Broncos are just fortunate to have high-quality depth across the cornerback group, which works against Taylor despite his special teams ability and ability to play in the slot on defense. He’s a player who will likely feel like a little bit of a risk trying to get through waivers. He also sustained a concussion Friday night against the Vikings.

SAFETY (4)

Talanoa Hufanga, Brandon Jones, Devon Key, JL Skinner

Final call: Miles Scott is a nice developmental player, but based on his role and playing time so far in camp, perhaps Denver is hoping they can get that redshirt year done on the practice squad. Tycen Anderson was one of the most conspicuous players not to dress Friday night vs. Minnesota. Those guys are either already on the roster or definitely not making it. The guess here is the latter.

SPECIAL TEAMS (3)

Wil Lutz (PK), Jeremy Crawshaw (P), Mitchell Fraboni (LS)

Final call: Easy. They’ve got Luke Basso’s number if they need a long-snapper at any point during the season.

The club signed , a 26-year-old outside linebacker who has played the past two seasons in the UFL.

Denver released another former UFL star, wide receiver Hakeem Butler, in a corresponding move.

Stone practiced with the Broncos on Tuesday and the timing of his addition lines him up to be a contender for the 53-man roster.

“This kid is smart, he’s tough,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said after practice. “(Inside linebackers coach Jeff) Schmedding actually coached him a year in college. So we’re familiar with this kid. He practiced today and make a couple plays. I was surprised, he even peeled (off) on a pressure. So, with a 10-minute meeting before practice.

“He’ll play a bunch on Friday and we’ll see where he’s at.”

Stone, listed at 6-foot-3 and 257 pounds, played his college football at Washington State and then signed as an undrafted free agent with the Las Vegas Raiders after the 2024 NFL Draft. He was waived at the roster cutdowns with an injury designation and didn’t land on a practice squad.

As UFL tries to become NFL’s ‘developmental league,’ Broncos are gaining reputation as a landing spot

Instead, Stone played the 2025 and 2026 spring seasons in the UFL. Playing for the Michigan Panthers in 2025, Stone had 3.5 sacks and four tackles for loss. Then in 2026 he played for the Columbus Aviators and collected 5.5 sacks and five tackles for loss.

The Broncos have struck gold at outside linebacker from the UFL before. They signed Dondrea Tillman from that league in the spring of 2024. He didn’t play early in the 2024 season but now has appeared in each of Denver’s past 29 regular-season games and racked up nine sacks along with eight tackles for loss and a pair of interceptions.

Stone’s addition to Denver’s outside linebacker room is an interesting one. The Broncos have enviable depth at the position from starters Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper through a reserve trio of Tillman, Jonah Elliss and Que Robinson. They also have 2023 third-round draft pick Drew Sanders, but he has struggled mightily to stay healthy over the past two seasons.

Denver also doesn’t yet know if Cooper will be available to start the season, but a suspension or a placement on the commissioner’s exempt list appears squarely in play as Cooper faces a felony assault charge and other lesser charges stemming from a pair of domestic violence-related arrests in June.

Stone’s signing, if he plays well over the next couple of weeks, could give Denver some roster depth early in the season if the team is without Cooper.

Butler, meanwhile, was an intriguing add at wide receiver this summer after he twice won UFL offensive player of the year. The production just never followed through training camp, however, and he fell behind not only Denver’s deep set of receivers who are likely to make the 53-man roster, but also a group of undrafted rookies like Cameron Ross, Kolbe Katsis and Joseph Manjack IV who have each made more plays and looked more comfortable over the past two weeks.

As he flashed his mitts toward Green Bay reserve tackle Brant Banks on Friday night, Banks raised his to counter.

Just as he did, though, Robinson dipped his right shoulder low, bent around Banks and exploded toward quarterback Kyle McCord, who never had a chance to throw the ball away or even think about escaping.

Unlike some players who see action in the second half of preseason games this time of year, a 10-yard sack midway through the third quarter Friday night for Robinson is hardly the biggest play he’s made in his career.

Que Robinson with a BIG sack

GBvsDEN on ��
Stream on

— NFL (@NFL)

That came back in January, of course, when Robinson sacked New England quarterback Drake Maye in the AFC Championship Game.

This play, though, held significance for Denver’s second-year outside linebacker.

Robinson is one of the primary names mentioned when the conversation turns to 2026 breakout candidates for the Broncos. He’s got the size, speed and physicality to blossom into a steal of a fourth-round draft pick.

In order to do so, though, Robinson must continue to refine his game. During his rookie season, he only got six games’ worth of playing time plus the conference title game.

That makes playing time like his 23 snaps on Friday all the more valuable.

And it makes cashing in a move like the one he pulled on the sack feel quite distinctly like a step forward.

“Shoot, man, I’ve been giving our offensive tackles hell all of camp,” Robinson said in the postgame locker room. “So it feels pretty good to go against somebody else and work a move that I’ve been practicing for I don’t know how long.

“It felt pretty good. It probably would have felt better if we’d have won.”

This is all part of the process for Robinson, who went from a little-used defensive player at the University of Alabama — he played all of 370 defensive snaps in four seasons there because he primarily backed up first-round picks Will Anderson and Dallas Turner — to one of the most promising young players on the Broncos’ loaded defensive front.

“There were certain traits you saw on film,” head coach Sean Payton said earlier this month. “He’s a real good technician and he’s one of those guys that we know has been coached hard. We felt coming into this defense from what he was playing in, there were some similarities to what we were going to ask him to do. I think that����ap a help.”

Robinson, general manager George Paton, said after the season, might have the most upside of any defensive player in Denver’s 2025 draft class. This summer, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said Robinson needed to play more and that he has the ability to be a starter for Denver.

Players, too, will happily endorse him as a potential impact player.

“Que is obviously a very talented guy. He’s showing out every day in practice,” outside linebacker Nik Bonitto said before Denver’s preseason opener at Atlanta. “He has all the tools and whenever he sets his mind to it, nobody can block him. He’s been playing really well right now and I’m excited especially to see these next couple of games what he does out there.

“I know he’s going to put on a show for sure.”

He did on Friday against the Packers, harassing both Tyrod Taylor and McCord. On one pressure against Taylor, Robinson sped 10 yards up the field, found himself stymied by left tackle John Williams, spun, backtracked by 5 yards, saw Taylor trying to escape his direction and then closed 10 yards back to Taylor in a blink, blasting him as he threw the ball out of bounds well over receiver Bo Melton’s head.

The 25-year-old is learning the play-by-play rhythm of the NFL. He’s also trying to make sure he always has a plan and knows it, but also that he plays fast regardless of whether what happens in front of him resembles his plan at all.

“I’m able to play fast and go, man,” He said. “The guys in my room and, shoot, really, the team believes in me. They’ve got high hopes for me. I’ve just got to try to prove them right and put all my energy out there on the field for everybody. …

“I don’t want to go out there half-stepping or getting in my own head. Or being like, ‘oh, my pinky hurts, poor me’ and stuff like that.”

Robinson’s work so far is going to make it difficult to keep him off the field, though he’s still refining his run defense and down-to-down consistency. The splash is there. Even in a room that returns all four of its regular rotation members from a year ago — pending, at least, potential discipline for Jonathon Cooper at or near the start of the regular season —��Robinson’s attempting to carve a bigger role.

“You’ve got to make it count,” he said of the preseason chances. “This is a great defense. You’ve got Nik and Coop and Jonah and all those guys out there giving it their all.

“When I get my opportunities, I feel like I’d be doing them a disservice if I don’t do the same.”